


The Immortal Persuasion: A Beginning To No End

by Der_Guerkchen_Boss, Kaiperion, reallysweetsass (IlluminationEgo)



Series: The Immortal Persuasion [1]
Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: M/M, Mild Smut, Multi, Pirates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-29
Updated: 2014-08-29
Packaged: 2018-02-15 05:55:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2218338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Der_Guerkchen_Boss/pseuds/Der_Guerkchen_Boss, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaiperion/pseuds/Kaiperion, https://archiveofourown.org/users/IlluminationEgo/pseuds/reallysweetsass
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The prologue to an epic adventure. The Achievement Huntress didn't start out as a pirate ship. In fact it used to be a two-man crew of misfits looking to escape the reality of their peasant lives. Along the way the Huntress managed to gain more crew but that crew didn't necessarily expect to become romantically involved with anyone when they signed up. Much less each other! So when they’re caught by King Burnie’s guards and awaiting their meeting with the gallows, the captain decides to take his five lovers on a trip down memory lane.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Immortal Persuasion: A Beginning To No End

**Author's Note:**

> All art by Barghuest! We thank you for helping visualize the story with your amazing art!
> 
> This is our entry for the Ragehappy Big Bang! Enjoy some polyamorous, gay pirates!

“Stop! Thief!”

“He’s stolen the crown!”

“Head him off in the corridor!”

The shouting of excited guardsmen and their heavy footfalls as they gave chase were causing quite a commotion within the small castle, and the only thing louder than the guard’s shouts were the bursts of squawking laughter coming from their target.

“He’s headed for the throne room! Stop him!”

Just as the guards kicked open the door, they spotted their pursuee trapped in the room with no way out. Still he spun on his heel, leaning against the throne, the glimmering crown perched askance upon his head and wearing the dumbest grin.  

“Guess I’m the king now, lads.”

His glee was cut off with the sting of sharp cold steel to his throat and a low, angry voice in his ear.

“Care to run that by me again?”

It was silent for a moment before Gavin, suddenly bereft of his previous confidence, responded shakily, “N-no, sir.”

“I didn’t think so.” The king stepped back, keeping his sword at Gavin’s throat, before gesturing with it to the floor, “Out of my chair and on your knees, cocksucker.”

“Yes, sir.” Gavin slid from the throne and knelt as he was told, the blade of the King’s sword pushing into his throat, making him tentatively swallow as the crown was plucked from his head.

Sighing, the king gestured for a guard to come restrain the lad, “I’ve given you lot plenty of chances. Not sure why you keep pushing.” When the guard stepped away, he sat on his throne and waited, a boot pressed into Gavin’s back, “The others will be arriving soon, I’m sure. Can’t let their twink have all the fun.”

Right on cue, 5 pairs of feet tromping through the corridor could be heard on the other side of the stone walls,“Gavin, what the fuck is taking so long-” A voice interjected from the other side of the room, curly hair emerging from a panel in the woodwork. “-Oh shit, it’s Burnie. Uhhh, Geoff?”

“Fuck...” The scruffy man scrambled out after Michael, about to draw his sword but stopping at the sight of the guards surrounding the secret hole.

“Well, this is managing to actually be better than expected.” Ryan mumbled as he joined the two, Jack groaning as he had to crawl out on his hands and knees and brush the dust from his pants.

Gavin’s eye flickered between the members of his group, counting and noting that one was missing. Hopefully, Ray had been smart enough to not-

“Hey, guys, they caught- uh.” Ray skidded into the room from the main hallway where Gavin had come from and swallowed hard as swords immediately were placed to his throat. “Oh boy.”

Geoff straightened his hat and his back and took a step forward to Burnie, seated at the throne, throwing on a smile, “Hey, buddy. No harm, no foul right? We were just dicking around. Think you can let us off with a warn-”

“27.” Burnie’s voice interrupted, not looking at anything but the laces of his boot pressed into Gavin’s back.

“What?”

“I’ve given you 27 warnings.”

Geoff blinked sleepily, trying to regain lost ground. “But, we’re-”

“No buts. This is the last straw. Breaking into my castle, stealing my crown, and on top of it, you’ve managed to find my secret tunnel. That I now have to fill and rebuild.” Burnie sighs heavily, he doesn’t want to do this, not really. But he has to protect himself, “You’ll be kept overnight in the prison. Then come morning, you’ll be hung in the square.”

“You motherfucker!” Michael interjects, angrily, surging forward and barely being held back by the guards “You can’t-” He starts, until Geoff holds up his hand and silences his fiery crew member with a flat tone.

“He can do as he pleases, Michael. Hush. Don’t make it worse than it already is.”

“We’re gonna die!” Ray’s eyes are wide and he’s quivering like a rabbit, “How the fuck can it get worse?” At the same moment, a guard grabbed the youngest crew member by his collar and threw him with the others. Ray landed in a mess of limbs at Jack’s feet with an indignant cry before scrambling up and clinging to the bearded man.

Geoff’s face became distressed at Ray’s cry and he turned back to the king, “You can’t let this go? Even for old time’s sake?”

“No. The crown is a sacred thing. The people will want justice. You can either die like dogs here or you can die with some kind of dignity tomorrow. It’s up to you.” But a glimmer in the king’s eyes that the pirate captain caught made the man purse his lips to keep from smiling. Unfortunately it was a hard thing to do.

Geoff laughed hard once and reached for Gavin, pulling him up by an arm, “Guess we’ll forego dying like dogs. C’mon, guys. Let’s follow the guards to jail.”

Jack was the next one who seemed to catch on, holding Ray close as he sighed, seemingly dejected and followed Geoff, “Such a shame it all has to end this way, huh, Geoff? Caught by royals and hanged. Not the best way for pirates to go out.”

“Yeah but at least someone else gets to worry about it. I mean we can just lay back in jail and relax. No worries on our minds, right boys?”

“Dying…” Ray said succinctly, “Dying is a pretty big fuckin’ worry.”

“We all die, Ray. Why worry about it?”

The group fell silent as they were escorted to the jail and placed into cells by twos; Jack and Ray, Michael and Ryan, Geoff and Gavin.

The moon was shining through the  high, barred windows before anyone said a word, Geoff announcing his observation of his cell-mate, “Gav, you look a little down. What’s eating you?”

“Y’know. Besides dying in the morning.” Ray piped in on the other side of the wall.

“It’s my fault we’re here. I should have been quicker.” Gavin stated, arms wrapped around his knees and forehead resting against his arms, “It’s my fault. I’m sorry. It’s my fault.”

Geoff pursed his lips and frowned before scooting closer to the lad and wrapping his arms around him, “It’s no one’s fault, Gav. We’re all here because we played the game and we lost. At least we can say we had fun playing though. Not many get to say that in the end.” He ran his fingers gently through the younger man’s hair, “And hey, at least we’re together.”

Gavin leaned against Geoff in comfort as the older man sighed and returned to looking out the window.

Another bout of silence passed before Michael spoke up suddenly, sitting across the walkway between the cells, “Geoff, tell us about when you first found The Huntress. Tell us the whole story.”

Ryan appeared beside him suddenly and nodded in encouragement, “It wouldn’t hurt to take a trip down memory lane. Since we’re dying and all.”

“Ryan the memory guy.” Ray interjected.

Geoff chuckled a bit and settled in as Gavin did before he began, “Well… She was… a disaster when I found her. I honestly had no clue how she was still afloat but there she was, full of holes and falling apart just waiting for me. Now most people would have just left the ship alone but… something pulled me to her. Even with all her damage she was still… beautiful. Besides, I knew a carpenter in town who could help me fix her up. And let me tell ya, when Jack saw her, I knew he saw the same thing I did. She had great potential... and we had big plans…”

[ ](http://der-guerkchen-boss.tumblr.com/post/96084033162/my-part-for-the-ragehappy-bigbang-2014-art-done)

~~~~~ 5 Years Prior ~~~~~

Two men stood on a pier and stared at a wrecked ship that was miraculously still floating. One was slouching with tired eyes and a beard filling in. The other was larger set and had a magnificent beard and kind eyes. They both reeked of alcohol but it was the least of their problems as they looked upon the many holes and broken pieces of their new acquisition.

“I don’t know, Geoff. This is going to take a while to restore.” The larger one said, scratching the red hair on top of his head.

“Yeah but it’ll be worth it, Jack, I mean just think about it. We could leave this fucking city and do things our way. Do whatever we want. We wouldn’t have to deal with snobby nobles and their fucking galas looking down their noses at us like we’re the fucking scum of the Earth.” Geoff almost looked like he was going to pass out from the happiness that the mere thought gave him.

Jack chuckled and shook his head, “Its a great thought, Geoff, it really is.”

“Plus I’ve got experience on sea. I was in the navy you know. I know what I’m doing.”

“Well that makes one of us.” Jack sighed, “Alright, I’ll need some parchment so I can start writing down what we’ll need to make her good as new. You need to start doing some odd jobs to gather some cash so we can actually buy those things. Or at least go gather them in the jungle so we don’t have to buy them. We’re looking at late August launch.”

“That’s perfectly fine. Gives us time to gather shit.” Geoff sighed, “I’d like a bigger crew than two though. Ah well. Maybe we can recruit in some other town. Just… lets focus on getting away from here first.”

“Can do.”

And it was two months later when the ship finally looked new. Geoff had taken to sleeping in the captain’s quarters because the town bugged him too much and Jack kept tweaking things to make them perfect. By the time they were ready to launch, the Achievement Huntress (as they had decided to call her) looked like a whole new rig.

Jack stood back on the pier, staring at her proudly. Geoff walked up behind him and gave an affectionate slap to the shoulder, “Ready to go, buddy?”

“Yes, finally. Let’s get the fuck out of this town.”

Geoff would have liked to say they never looked back, but when news reached them of his old friend’s coronation, he knew he had to go back to congratulate him. Burnie was more than an old friend, he was a navy buddy. Regardless of his noble state, Burnie didn’t care that Geoff was a street boy who had been drafted. They were friends and partners. But since Burnie was a noble, he had an obligation to answer the call when the old king died with no heir and he was chosen to fill the seat.

That trip back to the town went about as well as expected. He was denied entrance to the gala until Burnie spotted him and Jack and demanded they be let through. Then they drank each other under the table and Jack had to nearly roll his captain down to the docks so they could leave next morning.

Docking in Jersey the next month had been interesting.

They had come in late in the evening, tired and aching to sleep on an actual bed and eat some fresh meat. When they were walking up to a pub, a fight suddenly burst out of the doors and into the street; a younger man with wild curls and an angry red face was taunting a group of three larger men; all of them obviously drunk.

“Come on, assholes!” The smaller one shouted, “I’ve been drafted so I should be able to take all three of you fucking bitches! Fight me! I’m fucking Mogar, baby!”

Geoff and Jack both exchanged glances before sliding into the bar quickly and taking a seat.

“What’s going on with the red-head kid?” Geoff asked the barmaid as she turned around to take their orders.

“Ah. Poor lad got drafted. He’s not taking it so easy.” The barmaid looked sadly  towards the door as the sound of punches and grunting could be heard.

Geoff could remember the feeling of being drafted himself. It wasn’t easy to hear. But his sympathy got him thinking and before he was even finished with his drink, Geoff stood from the bar, oblivious to Jack’s questioning look as he made his way outside to find that the lad had taken on all three of the older men and won, though he looked winded leaning against the light pole.

“What are you lookin’ at? You want some of this?” He barked.

Geoff chuckled and moved a little closer, “No, kid. I’ve got a bit of a proposition for ya, if you’re interested.”

The lad stared at him dumbfounded for a moment, “Are you a whore?”

Geoff spluttered, “What? No! I’m a sailor! An ex-navy officer. I heard you were drafted.”

“Yeah I fucking was. What’s it to you?”

Geoff’s sleepy smile spread his face across as he sticks out a hand to Michael. “Want to get away?”

To say it took any convincing for Michael would be a bald faced lie. The lad barged his way onto the ship and made himself at home like he’d been there for years. Geoff didn’t mind too much. Sure, he had an extra mouth to feed (a rather boisterous mouth at that) but his crew was growing and Michael didn’t seem to mind the daily chores that came with keeping a ship in working condition. Michael was a man of many talents, soon finding his place up in the rigging where it was harder for men of Geoff and Jack’s stature to swing from rope to rope as nimbly as Michael did.

But patience with the locals was one core thing Michael lacked. They quickly learned to keep him away from the marketplaces if they wanted any supplies, thanks to Michael’s fast foul mouth and even the even faster swings of his fists that resulted in many an expensive bail.

When they next docked in York, Geoff sat him in front of the pub with a stern look and a warning that if he ended up in jail again they’d leave him there overnight. He tossed a few small coins to the younger when Jack wasn’t looking and winked before heading off to haggle with the merchants.

Michael sighed and fiddled with the money, clinking it together in his palm. Drinking would only lead to a fight, but there really wasn’t anything else to buy in the spare market that caught Michael’s interest.  Completely bored out of his mind, Michael was shoving the coins into his pocket when he noticed one of the merchant stalls that was being stocked. Whoever was in charge of it clearly wasn’t happy with the young man who was trying to put his wares up for display. The kid was clearly a foreigner- dark hair, skin and a round face- but he looked to be in good health and not starving like most of his kind. Maybe he wasn’t rolling in cash like the nobles, but Michael figured that he was doing alright.

The man in charge of the stalls waved his hands wildly before growling at the lad to just stay out of the way, inserting some rather choice words about the boy’s background, featuring the word filthy at least twice.

The kid scoffed and dropped what he’d been holding, kicking it out of his way as he went to sit next to Michael in front of the pub.

Michael looked at him incredulously, “You just gonna do what he says? Does he own you?”

The kid shrugged, leaning back. “He can stack everything up himself if he wants to be an asshole.” He sticks a hand out with a grin that stretches from ear to ear. “Ray Narvaez II. And you are?”

Michael considers the hand in front of him for a moment before taking it, “Michael Jones.”

“So why are you in York? Its a pretty shitty town…”

“I dunno. Captain thought we needed some supplies and this was the closest port.”

“Captain? Are you a sailor?” Ray sat up a little straighter out of excitement.

“More or less. We kinda just roam around from port to port. Sometimes we ferry things or people for a little cash. Its better than being anywhere on land lemme tell ya.”

Ray looked over at the man’s stall with a blank look, “I bet…”

“Look, man, if he’s bein’ an asshole then just… I don’t know… leave or something. Start a trade of your own.” Michael shrugged a bit, “You have more patience than me to deal with someone like that.”

“What can you do? He’s my boss.”

“Doesn’t mean he’s above reproach.”

From another stall farther into town a pitchy voice called out, “Michael, give us a hand with these barrels!”

Michael jumped up at that, “Aye Captain!” He turned back to Ray, “Take care, man.”

“Sure…” And Ray watched Michael run over to where two other men were dealing with a merchant. His father calling his name and demanding him to help snapped him out of his staring.

It was that night when Ray happened to look out his window before bed and saw the three-man crew rolling barrels onto their ship and preparing it for high tide.

A swelling in the younger man’s chest began and he looked back and forth between the door and the open sea beyond his window. His decision was quick and he grabbed a bag, stuffing all he could think of as important into it before jumping from the 3rd story window on to the lower building rooftop below. A quick trek across the roof and he jumped into a parked wagon and onto solid ground, hopefully not for long.

Without hesitation and with as much confidence as he could muster from his merchant’s training before his father died, he walked up to the man that Michael had said was his Captain and held out his hand, “Ray Narvaez II, sir.”

The others man who wasn’t Michael stopped and the two shared a glance before the Captain spoke, “I’m Geoff. This is Jack. What’s up?”

“I know I’m probably fucking this up by doing it wrong or some shit but I was curious if you were looking for another crew member because I’m really interested.” Ray shifted on his legs as he spoke, a nervous tic and he knew it didn’t go unnoticed.

But it didn’t matter because, Michael came bounding out and smiled when he saw him, “Ray! Finally decided to ditch that asshole huh?”

Ray smiled uneasily back, “Yeah… If your captain’ll let me.”

Jack stood from his hunched position over a barrel and folded his arms, “He wants to join our crew.”

“Really? That’s awesome!” Michael’s smile widened to show teeth, “Someone my age so its not just me and these geezers.”

Geoff rolled his eyes, “Look, kid, how much do you know about sailing?”

“The fuck kinda question is that?” Michael snorted, “I didn’t know the first thing and you flat out _asked_ me.”

“My father was a merchant and I know a lot about the trade.” Ray answered anyway, “I’d be useful for bartering supplies. And I can learn anything. I’m _willing_ to learn anything. Please, I just don’t want to be here anymore. I can do whatever you need me to do. No exceptions.”

Jack and Geoff shared a glance before Geoff shrugged and Jack sighed, “Alright. Its fine with me. Just get used to cramped spaces and rationed meals.”

“No problem!” Ray smiled widely as Michael whooped loudly , laughing as Jack swatted at him.

“People are sleeping, jackass.”

“Who gives a shit?”

“That’s it. Both of you on the ship.” Geoff growled loudly, “Our new recruit can help me finish packing this shit.”

~~~~~~~~~~~

It was about a day and a half later when they sensed something was amiss. Barrels were being found left open and food stolen out of them. The hay on the ground where they kept said barrels was disturbed, some of it pushed into a pile in the corner.

But what really gave it away was the sudden squawking late one evening. Geoff burst out of his quarters and met Jack and Michael and Ray who heard the commotion and came to him to investigate. It was clear the sound was coming from the supply bay.

“Is it a rat?” Ray asked timidly.

“Its one giant ass rat if it is…” Michael replied as they began their descent into the bay, Geoff leading the group with a lantern.

As they came closer to the sound of struggling and squawking, the floorboards creaked and the sound stopped.

Geoff squinted as he took a careful step forward, the sound silent, and then they heard the struggling continue, sans the squawking, indignant huffs replacing the annoying sound. When he rounded a stack of crates, he burst into laughter, almost dropping the lantern.

The others rushed over to investigate before falling to pieces themselves.

There tangled in the rope net that kept the barrels from moving around, was a young lad with sandy colored hair and a rather large nose, breathing hard as he tried to disentangle himself. He stopped when he saw them, eyes wide and terrified then confused as he registered they were laughing.

[ ](http://der-guerkchen-boss.tumblr.com/post/96084033162/my-part-for-the-ragehappy-bigbang-2014-art-done)

Geoff finally moved forward, passing the lantern to Jack, and reached a hand out towards the boy who flinched; he seemed to be familiar with physical punishment, “Easy, kid, I’m just trying to get you out.”

He didn’t seem to relax and when he spoke a clear accent could be heard, “Are you going to throw me overboard? Cuz I’d really rather stay stuck if you are…”

“What? No… Hold still.” Geoff grabbed the boys tangled appendages and carefully removed them from the rope net, “There we go. All done.” He wiped his hands on his shirt as the lad rubbed his sore wrists, “So you’re the one who’s been stealing food…”

The lad ducked his head, “I… yeah. ‘s me… Sorry bout that…”

Geoff placed his hands on his shoulders, “So where are you headed that you felt the need to stowaway?”

The boy glanced up at him, “Anywhere really. Needed to get out of that bloody toxic town. But I ah… I didn’t have any cash for a ride...”

Glancing back at Ray, Geoff’s hands tightened on the other lad’s shoulders as if he would try to escape, “Do you know this kid?”

Ray shrugged, “I’ve seen him around. Kinda sneaky. Kind of an asshole too. He can get himself out of some pretty hairy situations by flailing his arms a lot though so…”

Geoff sighed and turned back to the kid, “I bet he’s been caught at least a few times. Do you have a name?”

“It’s Gavin… Gavin Free.”

“Well you weren’t free two minutes ago.” Michael mutter, hissing an “Ow!” when Jack smacked him upside the head for it.

“Well, Gavin,” Geoff began, ignoring the red-headed lad, “y’know you could’ve just asked for a ride. We would have put you to work to pay the fare.”

Gavin’s face heated up and he ducked his head, “Guess I didn’t think about that.”

“No, you didn’t.” the captain finally removed his hands, “Well since you’re here, I’ll give you the option of staying onboard or getting off when we next dock. But you’re working the rest of the time until we get there. Got it?”

“Yessir…”

“Good. I’m Geoff. Over there’s Ray, Michael, and Jack. Ray’s new too so… y’know… bond or whatever. Michael will show you what to do. I’ll get a new bunk situated for you tomorrow. For tonight you can just… bunk with Michael if he doesn’t mind.”

“Nah, man, the more the merrier.” Michael said sarcastically but otherwise said nothing about it.

Gavin looked between the men for a moment before nodding and smiling wide, “It’ll be a pleasure to work with you gentlemen.”

“Don’t try to flatter us before you’ve gotten to know us.” Geoff snorted before starting to shoo everyone back to bed, “Worry about shit tomorrow, I want to go back to fucking sleep.”

The dock in Cuerpo Cristo went smoothly enough, the two new younger boys having joined Michael in the rigging enthusiastically. Ray had claimed control of the crow’s nest amid Gavin’s protests and Michael’s snickers before he took pity on Gavin and dragged him away to show him how to swing on the ropes. It was an amusing thing to watch, really. Gavin would reach for a rope and promptly lose his balance, tumbling the two or three feet to the deck below, screeching and waving his arms the whole way. Eventually he learned, and declaring Michael his “boi”, he spent most of his days avoiding work and taunting Jack.

Jack didn’t mind tho, the taunting more of a playful banter between the two of them more than anything else. Jack would call Gavin “twink”, Gavin would call him “Beardo” and Jack would throw apples at him which Gavin would catch and eat with increasingly frustrating accuracy, much to the older man’s amusement.

The gang that tumbled down the gangway into Cuerpo Cristo was a merry one, Michael dragging Gavin with him in a headlock to the soundtrack of Geoff’s laughter and catcalls while Ray and Jack animatedly discussed the finer tactics of bartering.

Geoff was the first to spot the fair-haired man standing amidst a flock of different animals and looking somewhat destitute.  He held onto a calf gently as the other animals wandered around. It wasn’t a great feat considering the others failed to notice him at all. He had skin to match his hair but his body was built in a fashion that only years on a farm and around animals could sculpt.

[ ](http://der-guerkchen-boss.tumblr.com/post/96084033162/my-part-for-the-ragehappy-bigbang-2014-art-done)

He looked absolutely downtrodden and the captain wasn’t sure exactly why, but his chest ached for him. This man was in a bad way. He could feel it. So with an apparent game plan, Geoff sent the crew off in pairs and separate directions to find supplies and with  his new-found alone time, he walked over to the man stopping in front of him.

The man looked up with tired eyes, looking utterly indifferent, “Can I help you?”

The captain shifted a bit, “Just curious. What’s with the animals?”

The man shrugged, “They’re all I have left. Lords commandeered my land, kicked me out and demolished my farm.”

“So… where do you...?”

“Right here. No one wants to take in a homeless man with animals. No one wants to buy the animals either so I haven’t eaten in a few days. Why are you so concerned?”

Geoff shrugged, “Dunno, guess I have a bleeding heart for strays.” His eyes flashed over to Ray and Michael laughing at Gavin who had tripped against a market stall and fell on his nose, “What’s your name?”

“Ryan. Ryan Haywood.”

“Well, Ryan Haywood. Got any place in mind you’d like to head to? I hear the Lori Isles are hurting for animals. They’d probably buy yours for a nice wad of cash.”

At this, Ryan’s interest piqued through,. “I did hear that. None of the ships would take me unless I had fare enough for me and my animals.”

“Then today is your lucky day, sir. We’ll take you to the Lori Isles for a fresh start. All you have to do is a little manual labor and maybe some babysitting of the lads. What do you say?”

Ryan’s eyes narrowed, “What’s in it for you? Why would you do this for a random stranger?”

“Because I’ve been in a similar position before. My crew is made up of misfits and runaways. I enjoy helping those who have had it rough. We have to go to the Isles next anyway so why not? You’re welcome aboard if you want. It’s only an offer. You don’t have to take it.”

The fair-haired man pondered for a moment, “How big of a crew is it?”

“There’s five of us right now and the gents are severely outnumbered by the lads. We could use your help.”

“I know nothing about sailing.”

“Neither did the lads but they learned quickly enough. You seem like a smart guy.”

Ryan snorted, “Thanks.”

There was an anxious silence and then Ryan stood, setting the calf down and holding out his hand to Geoff, “You’ve got yourself a deal.”

Geoff smiled brightly and took the man’s hand, “Pleasure making arrangements with you.” then he turned to the laughing boys, “Hey lads! We’ve got a new crewmate for the Lori Isles trip!”

Said lads looked over to where Geoff was and Michael was the first to shout, “Is it the cow?”

Jack passed by just then with his arms full of supplies, on his way to another stall, “Michael, that was rude.” He said, not even bothering to look at him as he passed.

Michael snickered but quieted, “Sorry, mom.”

“You can ignore them easier than you think.” Geoff pointed out encouragingly as Ray found something of interest in another stall and dragged the lads over to see, “We can keep your animals in the cargo hold until we reach the Lori Isles and you can decide what you want to do with them there.”

Ryan nodded, “Sounds like a plan.”

“First thing’s first though. Let’s get you fed and cleaned up a bit. Sailors work isn’t a glamor job but i’m sure you’d prefer to freshen up a bit.” The captain handed the new crewmember a small purse of coins, “That should be enough for food and some new clothes and a bath at Barbara’s Inn. When you’re ready, I’ll get the lads to help you with the animals and we’ll be on our way.”

Ryan stared at the coinpurse reverently for a moment before looking back up to Geoff with a heartfelt look of appreciation, “You’re a good man, captain. Thank you.”

Geoff smiled crookedly, “Don’t say that before you get to know me first, Haywood.”

Having the lads help with wrangling up the animals turned out to be one of the best decisions Geoff had ever made and Jack couldn’t help but agree. Watching all three lads wrestle around with a pig for an hour was too good of a show to miss.

The captain sat on the side railing of the ship and laughed so hard he cried. Jack ate some pigskins while he watched and laughed with him. Ryan laughed too, but he was mediating the whole thing. The animals only seemed to want to listen to him and by the time they had gotten all the animals on board, Michael was fuming, Gavin was sore and Ray just felt embarrassed.

The gents made sure to pat them on the back for their efforts by letting them go to bed without doing their nightly chores before bed. Ryan had volunteered to do them that night anyway. The lads were thoroughly exhausted and appreciative of the break, yawning widely before filtering down into the barracks and to their respective hammocks.

Then, Jack and Geoff followed suit, Geoff, though, retreating to the captain’s quarters instead of following Jack to the barracks, leaving Ryan to tend to the chores.

It was about midnight when Geoff emerged to a clean and tidy deck to run his routine sweep of his crew. He sighed happily, breathing in the cool, salty air before looking up and admiring the night sky. Beautiful as always, the sight never failed to be breathtaking. Looking back down to the deck, he noticed a figure leaning against the mast and staring up at the sky, broom in hand, resting.

He moved closer until the familiar and yet still foreign frame came into clearer focus, “Ryan? What are you still doing awake? It didn’t really take that long to do everything did it?”

Ryan almost seemed startled when he looked back at Geoff, but calmed considerably at the question, “ Oh no. I’ve just been sitting here thinking. I probably should turn in though.”

“What are you thinking about?”

Ryan shrugged, “Lots of things. Nothing at all.”

The captain inclined his head, “Fair enough.”

“And what about you, captain? Couldn’t sleep?”

“Nah. Just routine. Gotta make sure the boys are alright. Guess its a protective instinct I have.”

Ryan chuckled hard once, eyes searching the other man before echoing, “Fair enough.”

There was a comfortable silence as both men returned their gaze to the sky, a shooting star falling overhead. The gentle sounds of waves lapping at the hull of the ship were relaxing and threatening to make the captain fall back asleep. The two men were just enjoying the intimacy of silence and a beautiful evening.

Suddenly, there was a creak of a door and their heads snapped to look at whoever had opened it.

Jack’s head poked out of the door to the crew quarters and looked at the both of them for a moment before murmuring, “You guys might want to take a look at this.”

Curious, the other two gents moved to follow Jack who signalled them to be as quiet as possible before leading them down to the lad’s room just before the room Jack used.

There on the center bed that Gavin had claimed was a teeth-rottingly sweet scene. All three lads curled around each other, breathing deeply and sleeping peacefully. Gavin was curled between Michael and Ray, Michael’s face in the back of his neck and Ray tucking Gavin’s head under his chin.

Jack whispered, trying to explain, “I think Gavin was having another one of his nightmares. I could hear him whimpering in his sleep from the other room. After awhile he stopped and I thought it was because the nightmare had passed but now I’m thinking he had some help getting over it.”

“Its so cute its almost fucking disgusting.” Geoff admitted.

Jack snorted quietly, “I’ve caught them like this twice before. By morning, though, Ray and Michael are back in their own beds. Gavin never realizes a thing.”

Ryan whispered now, “Why does Gavin have nightmares?”

“We don’t know.” Geoff shrugged.

“He never talks about them and he absolutely refuses to talk about his past.” Jack supplied sullenly, “All we know about him is that he was a bit of a troublemaker in York and he snuck aboard our ship to escape it.”

“We don’t wanna pry because he’s fun to have around. It’d be a shame to drive him off.”

“And he’s way smarter than he acts. Don’t let his idiocy fool you.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Ryan said, yawning quietly, “So am I next door or...?” He gestured over his shoulder to the other room.

Jack nodded, “You turning in?”

Ryan simply shucked off his shirt in response, inadvertently flaunting his musculature in front of Geoff who was suddenly wide eyed and distracted.

“Uh… Think I’m gonna do the same.” the captain whispered a little louder than he intended and backed away from the other gents before turning and moving to his own quarters.

Ryan looked back to Jack confused, “What’s wrong with him?”

Jack could only offer a worried shrug as they walked out of the lad’s room to the one they now shared.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was about midday a week later; quiet and serene with a subtle breeze bushing the Achievement Huntress along her path to the Lori Isles.

On deck, Ryan stood watch and sipped idly at a mugful of ale. The other two gents were away in the captain’s quarters talking after Jack had dragged the captain away for acting weird around their new crewmate.  The lads had already done their chores for the day and as a result, Michael and Ray were playing an admittedly risque game of cards and dice below deck while Gavin was sleeping in the rigging… exactly a place that Geoff had warned the lad about taking his quick “kips” as he called them.

Ryan voiced his concern to the accented boy but Gavin had only brushed his worries aside, promising he’d be fine and that he did it all the time. There was nothing to worry about.

Ryan bought it, of course. He wouldn’t know himself anyways, too heavy-set to safely make it as high in the rigging as Gavin did. So he sipped his ale and listened to the snoring of the lad through his over-sized nose. He wondered what the younger man was thinking about- probably silly petty things like juicy apples and ridiculously tight clothing.

Unpredictably, the breeze picked up and rocked the rigging, causing Gavin to mumble and roll over in his sleep.  
Ryan wasn’t expecting the squawk that was quickly quieted by a splash, and he jumped, dropping his mug carelessly to the deck and scanning the ocean surface. At first there was nothing to see, the waves crashing normally against the hull, then a head of sandy hair breached the surface with a gasp and began flailing and spluttering in a wild panic.

It was clear with the way the lad was struggling against the relatively calm waves and coughing up the seawater because he couldn’t keep from gasping that he didn’t know how to swim and Ryan wasted no time, grabbing a length of rope nearby and quickly attaching it to one of the rails on the side of the ship. He tied it other end to his waist and jumped into the dark water.

Inside the captain’s quarters, the two conversing gents heard a commotion; Ryan yelling “man overboard!” and then a large splash. Both men busted out of the room in time to find Michael and Ray joining them on the deck. Their eyes caught the rope pulling taut on the railing and they heard the panicked squawks of the missing lad. They were leaning over the rails in no time, hearts in their throats.

Relief washed over them though as they saw Ryan swimming out to Gavin. The lad scrambled to grab hold of the newest crewmember and cling to him, trembling but finally calming down as Ryan instructed, “You can’t fight the waves, Gav, you’ll only wear yourself out more. Calm down. It’ll be okay.” He held him securely in his arms before looking back to the ship that was slowly pushing away and pulling them with it, thanks to the rope. “Can you pull us back up?” he called as Gavin tried to tuck into him and Ryan could only be thankful the ocean was calm today.

[ ](http://der-guerkchen-boss.tumblr.com/post/96084033162/my-part-for-the-ragehappy-bigbang-2014-art-done)

Michael and Ray dashed over to the rope, quickly followed by Geoff and Jack. Ray untied the rope and gave the slack end to the others behind him as Michael tried to help him pull in more of the rope. Geoff crowded behind Michael and then Jack was crowding Geoff to help and the captain couldn’t help but notice a flush rising to his own cheeks as he pulled back into Jack who pulled with him, arms around Geoff, trying to help bring Ryan and Gavin in.

Finally, they were able to pull their overboard crewmates back onship. Jack quickly retrieved towels and draped them over their soaked forms, Gavin shivering near violently and thanking him brokenly.

Geoff cleared his throat once after making sure the two were okay before his brows furrowed in concerned anger and he spoke calmly, “Wanna tell me what the fuck happened?”

Gavin shifted uneasily and looked down and away, “I-I was having a kip and-”

“In the rigging?” the captain folded his arms, giving a stern look, daring the boy to lie to him.

The lad nodded and gulped, “Yes, sir.”

“What the hell have I told you about that?”

“It’s danger-”

“It’s fucking dangerous. But you did it anyway and almost drowned, you damn idiot. You’re lucky Ryan was there to save your ass.” He cast a quick look to Jack, “What do you think, Jack? How should he show his gratitude?”

Jack took on a softer yet still stern look and also folded his arms, “I think if he’s bored enough to take naps, he can take on more responsibilities.”

“Great idea, Jack.” Geoff turned back to Gavin, “To show Ryan your gratitude, you’re taking on all his responsibilities for the next week on top of your own.” Gavin squawked indignantly but Geoff ignored him, “Now go get changed before you catch a cold.”

Gavin scurried away like a scolded puppy with the lads following behind him, “Yes, sir.”

After they had gone, Ryan jumped to Gavin’s defense. “Captain, not to question your orders, but I can handle my own duties. Paying my way and all.”

Geoff put up his hands to silence the man, “I don’t want to hear it. He almost fucking died. He’s not gonna learn otherwise and I expect you to enforce it.”

Ryan fell silent, pressing his lips into a thin line and nodding, confirming that he understood.

There was a short silence after and Jack then took the opportunity to move closer to the captain and nudge him, giving a stern but gentle look and nodding Ryan’s way.

Geoff nearly jumped at the contact and looked sheepishly at his best friend before sighing and rubbing the back of his neck as he turned back to the newest crewmember, “I, uh… I also need to talk to you… about something… If that’s alright...”

Down below, Ray and Michael were nearly smothering Gavin trying to help strip the boy of his clothes and getting in the way of each other more than actually getting the damp fabric off.

“Lads, c’mon, it wasn’t that bad.” Gavin protested as they pulled his shirt over his head, nearly getting him caught in it as he stumbled back a bit.

“It was fucking bad.” Michael growled, a bit more harsh than he would have liked as he tugged on the lads trousers effectively pulling them off, but it got the point across and Gavin fell silent as Ray helped him into dry clothes, “you almost fucking died, asshole.”

“We don’t want to lose you.” Ray clarified softly, the voice of reason in their trio and Gavin gave a soft breathy sigh, as the other two finished fussing and stood in front of him, Michael still angry and arms folded and Ray looking simply concerned and wary.

Gavin was still trembling slightly but he forced a smile, “C’mon, lads, I’m fine.”

Michael’s sudden growl was enough to wipe the smile off of the other man’s face, especially when the redhead took large, purposeful steps towards him and gripped his jaw tightly, but not enough to hurt, “You don’t get to say another word for the rest of the day. Got it?”

Gavin let out a soft whimper and nodded, eyes wide.

“We fucking thought you were dead. It could’ve been your corpse we pulled out of the water.”

“I-I’m sorry, Michael, I-” He let out a particularly undignified squeak when Michael growled louder and suddenly pressed their lips together.

Gavin’s eyes became so wide he was afraid they’d drop out of his head, but Michael pulled back just as quickly as he pushed forward and stepped out of the other lad’s space, red tinting his cheeks.

“C’mon dumbass…” Ray offered, grabbing Gavin’s hand and pulling him towards one of the beds, “If you don’t rest up for yourself then do it for us, man…” The youngest lad pulled Gav onto the bed with him and Michael curled up with them and suddenly Gavin found himself sandwiched between his bois as they planted little kisses on his skin as if to reassure themselves he was okay.

One by one, two pairs of lips left an indent of heat on his skin, warming him in ways he hadn’t imagined they could. He laid still and let them lavish him with their careful attentions until his eyes began to slip closed and he fell asleep, cradled by the protective arms of his mates.

It might have been a few hours later that Ray was the only one still awake, drifting in and out of consciousness until the door was quietly pushed open and he was pulled into a mostly awake state. He carefully turned his head and looked at whoever entered and yawned quietly so as not to wake the other two lads.

Geoff had decided to pay them a visit, walking over to their little love nest and pausing. His clothes were disheveled and he looked like he might have been limping.

Ray looked up at him with tired eyes and cocked his head a bit in question, but the captain only patted his head in reassurance, “Where’s Ryan and Jack?” Ray asked softly.

“They’re fine. They’re in my room. They passed out while in the middle of us talking. No big deal.”

“Oh… What were you talking about?”

“Nothing important. Gent stuff.”

Ray didn’t see a reason to respond so he kept his mouth shut.

“What happened here?”

The lad yawned his response, “We made Gav get some rest. He wouldn’t have stayed in bed if we hadn’t stayed with him.”

Geoff nodded in understanding, “You should get some rest too, buddy.”

The youngest lad hummed in agreement and adjusted his position, making Michael and Gavin murmur in their sleep and shift a bit, “Night.”

“Night.”

~~~~~~~~~~~

That night was the start of a major change within the crew. For as much as they seemed to stumble over each other, it was no longer a messy blundering with loud shouts but instead something more affectionate in jostled shoulders that often ended in dip-catching and ringing laughter. On more than one occasion, Ray would find Michael and Gavin making out below deck. They’d feel bad about not inviting him and pull him into their makeout circle. They had no idea that a similar situation was going on with their gents; were completely oblivious to the new affectionate nature between the three older men and too wrapped up in themselves to care.

The following month, the Achievement Huntress docked in the Lori Isles harbor. Everyone had noticed that the captain was a bit down about it. The closer they seemed to get to the harbor, the more depressed he became. Nobody questioned it, except for Jack who was brushed aside with no more than a few placating words. Ryan, on the other hand, didn’t need to question. He already knew.

So when they docked and tumbled down the gangway to help unload the animals, Ryan was surprised as Geoff held out his hand to him with a firm nod. “It’s been a pleasure sailing with you.”

Ryan stared down at the hand with a frown, before shaking it, “So this is it, then?”

Geoff seemed to explode then, “What more do you want from me, Ryan? Go on! Get out of here! Start your new, better life!”

Ray caught the yelling as he passed by carrying a crate and stopped, cocking an eyebrow, “What’s going on here?”

Jack’s heavy hand came down upon the youngest lad’s shoulder, “The captain’s upset about Ryan leaving.”

“But didn’t we know he was leaving to begin with?”

“You’re not sad to see him go?”

Ray pursed his lips and frowned, “Well yeah, but-”

“If I recall, Geoff, we only discussed getting my animals to the Lori Isles for selling. Your offer was clear enough.” Ryan, squared his shoulders, letting the harsh words roll off his back like drops of water. He knew better, “You said I could decide what wanted to do from there.”

The desperation and hope in Geoff’s voice is painfully obvious. “And you’re not… leaving?”

“These kids can’t hoist sails for shit. You’ll all probably die by sailing into a reef or something.” He smiled cheekily, “I’ll stay… If that’s alright.”

A flutter of emotions passed over Geoff’s face before he settled on a wide grin that made his sleepy eyes crinkle, “Yeah… Glad you’re not leaving. Now go sell those damn animals.” As Ryan turned away, Geoff continued, “And I expect you in my quarters when you’re done.”

Ryan only looked back with a smirk and a dangerous glint in his eye that none of the lads could interpret.

So Ryan became a permanent part of the the crew and balance was restored.

For the next few months at least…

Turns out, while the winter was mild, people still didn’t want to sail too far from home. So with less people to ferry from port to port, the money dwindled until it was gone, along with the remaining food supplies.

Geoff could only watch while his crew began to lose weight at an unhealthy rate and with every bite they’d guiltily look at each other, especially the lads since the gents were the first to give up their meals to support the younger metabolisms.

They were frustrated, scared, hungry…

More than once, Geoff would find one of the boys crying or raging so hard they would nearly pass out. It didn’t take much when there was hardly anything in their systems to begin with.

They were between ports when they finally did run out of food. Geoff had opened one of the barrels to find one loaf of bread left, stale and starting to mold. He held it reverently as he called the others to join him in his cabin. They sat in a circle on the ground and watched, bellies rumbling, as he cut the moldy parts off and sliced it into 6 pieces.

None of them tasted the bread as they ate, knowing they were still a good month away from the next port and hopefully some work to bring in some money for more food.

Then Gavin, of all people, had a plan. A stupid one, but they were running out of options.

Geoff called a crew meeting in his quarters and the stick-thin crew huddled together in the shambles of Geoff’s messy room across the desk from him. He sighed, pulling his hat off and running a hand through his hair.

“Alright, boys, here’s how it is. We hit the next royal ship we see, take what we can and get off.”

Gavin grinned among the rowdy shouting that ensued until Geoff banged his fist on the desk to regain everyone’s attention.

“It’s gotta be fast and safe, I’m not losing any one of you to them. I don’t even want a scratch on you, am I clear?”

“Yeah. Save it for when Burns finds out and hangs us all.” Jack quipped sarcastically.

“Burnie’s not going to hang us.” the captain retorted “He’s not even gonna catch us. Now everyone go get prepared.”

By the time a royal ship was spotted by an enthusiastic Ray from the crow’s nest, everyone was salivating at the possibility of an actual meal.

The distress flag was hoisted and the trap set. The royal ship moved closer and Jack watched with hawk-like eyes, “I really hope your military knowledge of navy ships pulls us through, Geoff.”

“It should. Haven’t heard of many upgrades that wouldn’t take a few years and this looks like an older model.”

The royal ship pulled up next to the Achievement Huntress and Geoff whispered under his breath, “Not a scratch.”

A deckhand shouted over, “You boys alright?”

Geoff smiled and took a step towards the railing of the Huntress, “We’re a bit low on food. Do you have any to spare?” the captain made sure to point out to the others that there was no one else on deck, being too early in the morning.

“Lemme go ask my captain.” The deckhand said as he sauntered off towards the cabins. When he disappeared, Jack nudged the lads into action who placed boarding planks to the other ship that allowed them to cross.

When they were all across, the lads scattered to lock cabin doors and start stealing the food from below decks. Ryan knocked out the unsuspecting helmsman and Jack kept the Captain’s door from being opened while Geoff kept a watchful eye on the lads, rolling barrels and pulling crates across the planks to the Huntress. By the time the banging started against the captain’s cabin, most of the food had been transferred and Geoff stopped them there.

“That’s more than enough. We don’t want to kill them.” He gestured for Jack to let the door open. The captain nearly fell out onto his face with the deckhand who was looking a panicked mess.

“What is the meaning of this?!” The royal captain screeched, “You are raiding a royal ship. Such a thing is punishable by death! Where is my crew?”

“We don’t half-ass anything, buddy.” Geoff said, walking over to the captain and plucking his hat from his head before placing it on his own, “We have everything we need now and your crew is still asleep.”

The captain growled and reached for his sword only to find it missing, Gavin snickering a few crates away and dangling the polished steel from his middle finger.

“Come on, boys. We’re done here.” Geoff said, walking back to the planks and waiting for everyone to cross onto the Huntress before crossing himself and giving the royal captain a middle-finger salute.

As they hoisted the sails and pulled up the anchor, Ray chimed in from the rigging with a smirk, “They’re gonna try to follow us right?”

“I’d be disappointed if they didn’t” Ryan stated as he ruffled Michael’s hair.

“How long do you think it’ll be before they realize we sabotaged the capstan?”

“Who cares? Let’s eat!” Gavin chirped enthusiastically as he jumped to the crates and barrels filled with food.

Geoff couldn’t help but agree, “Grab what you want and meet me in my cabin. We can eat together in celebration.”

~~~~~~~~~~

They’d never eaten better, and now they were sprawled out across Geoff’s cabin floor, Geoff letting out a rather impressive belch that sent Gavin into fits of laughter and Michael raised his tankard victoriously. The liquid inside splashed out across Ray who made a noise of protest and rolled away into the safety of a sleepy Jack who was all but snoring. Amused by the whole scene, Ryan had settled himself crosslegged on the floor and had somehow ended up leaning against Geoff.

“Alright-” Jack yawned before he could get anything else out, raising his arms up to stretch. “-I think it’s time we all go to bed before someone falls overboard again.”

Another round of laughter was had before the agreements settled in.

“Man, that was better than sex.” Ray grunted as Jack helped him up from his comfy spot on the floor.

“Really, Ray?” Michael was piss-drunk and he slung an arm across Ray’s shoulders before Gavin flanked Ray on the other side.

“Yeah, X-Ray, you sure ‘bout that?” Gavin echoed, a stumbled mess of limbs that almost took the other two lads down with him. Ray smirked at his friends states, muttering under his breath so only they could hear.

“Let’s find out, huh?”

The Gents, unaware, let the Lads make their stumbly way in front to their shared cabin. Geoff leaned in the doorway of his room, giving off a small sigh. Jack smiled, waving goodnight as he lumbered away. “I’ll leave you two to it, then.”

Starting to walk away, Ryan paused and lingered before turning around and watching Geoff for just a moment- the way his captain was so at ease and the proud and satisfied look that came from the sound of Lads play-fighting somewhere in the ship.

“Captain?”

Geoff started, as if woken from a dream and his glassy eyes refocused on Ryan, a soft smile mixing with the pride. “Yes, Ryan?”

“I just wanted to say- er- good job. And, uh, this might sound a bit odd, but I’m really glad I didn’t leave. I couldn’t ask for anything better than this.” Ryan rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, but Geoff just grinned, his cheeks reddening more than they already were from the alcohol.

“You’re a fucking work of art, Ryan Haywood.” He said, and retreated behind his door, adding a quiet ‘goodnight’ before closing it.

Satisfied with Geoff’s reactions, Ryan allowed himself to leave, making his way across the deck, past Jack who was leaning against the railing lost in thought, to the crew quarters and pausing when the noises that slipped from behind the door were something that-

He peered around the cracked door, holding his breath and nearly losing it when the scene fully registered in his brain.

Ray had Gavin pinned to the center bed, sucking dark bruises along his skin below the collarbone and making Gavin whine, the older lad tilting his hips up for friction that he was denied thanks to Michael’s fingers that were deep inside the youngest who rocked back on them as Michael grinned and murmured filthy praises to both of them.

Ryan felt like a heavy force had hit him straight in the chest and he couldn’t tear his eyes away, breath shallow and fast as Gavin turned his head and stared right at Ryan.

[ ](http://der-guerkchen-boss.tumblr.com/post/96084033162/my-part-for-the-ragehappy-bigbang-2014-art-done)

His surprised yelp caused the other two to stop what they were doing and look back at Ryan as well. The older man couldn’t help but notice the way the three paled at the sight of him but despite that, he folded his arms and smirked, waiting on them to say something first.

Suddenly, Michael turned to Gavin and screeched, “You were supposed to lock the door!”

“I-I thought I did!” Gavin stammered.

“R-Ryan, please don’t tell. We don’t know if Geoff will throw us out. Please!” Ray begged, pushing Michael off of him and trying to appeal to Ryan the best he could with a dying boner.

The statement caught Ryan off guard, “Why do you think he’d throw you out?”

“W-well… I mean we always thought…”

“He was in the military.” Michael stated, “they don’t take too kindly to things like this.”

Ryan nearly doubled over with laughter then, bracing himself against the door frame.

The lads shifted, trying to cover themselves with the scattered blankets, faces red.

“What’s so funny?” Michael asked sharply.

“Nothing, just…” Ryan wiped a tear away, “Don’t move. Wait here.”

Ray panicked as he watched the older man turn to leave, “Ryan, please-”

“ _Wait here_.” Ryan reaffirmed before walking back out from the crew bunks and across the deck to the captain’s cabin.

When he opened the door, he found Jack and Geoff talking over some mead. Apparently Jack had some things to discuss before bed which was perfect by Ryan’s standards.

“Hey, Ry.” Geoff drawled with a sleepy, drunken smile, “Come to seduce me?”

“Something like that.” Ryan chuckled and gestured back over his shoulder, “Something I wanted to show you with the lads though.”

It was amazing to see how much Geoff sobered up right then, “Are they okay?”

“They’re fine. Probably more than fine. Just… come on.” Satisfied that they were following, Ryan led them back to the lads’ room and pushed open the door to find they hadn’t really moved at all. Maybe they were a bit closer together but they were still mostly naked and Gavin was still pitching a tent beneath one of the blankets. Apparently getting caught was a turn-on. Go figure.

Three pairs of eyes widened as they saw Jack and Geoff then turned accusing and betrayed stares at Ryan who held up his hands defiantly.

“So, um…” Jack was the first to break the awkward silence, “What’s going on here.”

“N-nothing!” Ray began, “We were just-”

“Looks like you were fucking to me.” Geoff bluntly stated.

“They were close to it, but I walked in on them.” Ryan chuckled, “I just thought since this is a common theme on this ship we should all share the experience and show the kids how its done.”

Geoff pondered this for a moment before beaming at Ryan, eyes crinkling, “You are one hot, fucking, genius.” Then he turned to the other gent, “Jack, you in?”

“You really have to ask? I’ve been talking to you about Ray for like 3 months.”

“W-what’s going on?” Gavin asked timidly, “What’re you talkin’ about?”

“Let’s get started then.” Geoff said excitedly, cracking his knuckles as the three men began to strip off their clothes.

“What’re you doing?” They all chuckled at how Gavin’s voice raised in pitch as Geoff walked closer to them, stopping in front of the Brit and grabbing the back of his head with gentle, thick fingers.

“Shut up.” The captain said bluntly and pulled Gavin to him to kiss him deeply.

The other two lads gasped and Gavin moaned both from shock and from arousal. He couldn’t remember how many times he announced this fantasy to Ray and Michael and how they had all agreed the same for the other gents who were now advancing; Ryan hovering over to Michael and Jack stroking Ray’s arm gently to calm him.

“O-oh.” Ray stammered, gripping at Jack’s forearm as the bearded man planted gentle kisses along his neck.

“ _Oh_.” Michael echoed as Ryan’s hand palmed at his dick beneath the blanket, teeth nipping at his collar bone.

“ _Oh bloody fucking hell!_ ” Gavin gasped as he pulled back for air only to nearly lurch forward into Geoff’s arms and kiss him frantically.

After that came a lot of screaming and lewd sounds, most of which were moans of each other’s names. In the morning, they slept in until well after noon, cuddled on the beds they had ended up pushing together and the gents made sure to wake the lads with full body kisses, open-mouthed and sweet.

~~~~~ Present Day ~~~~~

“And the rest you know as history.” Geoff sighed, smiling.

“Great. At least we all get to die with a boner. Thanks Geoff.” Michael huffed and crossed his arms.

“I’m pretty sure you’re forgetting a few major events. Most of which transpired recently.” Ray added.

“Yeah but you were all there for that. Why do need to repeat it?”

“We were there for half the things you just said!” Gavin pushed at the captain’s shoulder, “Bloody mong.”

Geoff only shrugged and nodded towards the jail door, “The walls have ears, boys. Not about to say any more.”

They all seemed to shift uncomfortably then and almost as if on cue, the door opened to reveal a handful of guards, “Easy now, boys. You’re all going to the gallows. Get ready.” One of them said cheerily, “The king has gone away and left your execution up to me.”

“Convenient…” Ryan murmured quietly behind Michael as the gathered at the cell door.

Once they were cuffed and chained together (some not for the first time) they were led out of the cells and to the court square where the gallows waited, six nooses hanging menacingly in view.

This was where Ray started to panic, backing into Jack at the sight of the rope, but Jack’s gentle hand had him looking back and a strange sense of calm washed over him.

Geoff’s eyes scanned the crowd that had joined in front of the gallows, hissing and shouting and growling rudely, all excited for the day’s entertainment. He spotted a feathered hat, the face beneath it shadowed partially as it glided through the crowd towards the gallows.

The court was surrounded by small buildings and shops and in the center was the stage where they were being lead.

The guards marched them up the steps onto the stage where the executioner waited. Geoff was the first one to have a noose placed around his neck. The captain swallowed as it was adjusted to a snug fit. Behind him he could hear Gavin’s breathing kick up in fear but he didn’t struggle. Next Michael and Ryan were fitted and then Ray and Jack (Ray with some resistance but eventually Jack calmed him down a bit).

A Judge began to read off the charges, his monotone voice droning as the heat beat down on all of them. Movement atop one of the low surrounding buildings caught Michael’s eye and he nudged Gavin discreetly, nodding to where there was another feathered cap squatting and leaning around from behind a raised portion of roof.

As the judge finished, there was suddenly a sound of a horse galloping into the square. A woman with auburn hair rode up looking frantic and harried, the horse huffing in exertion and an empty carriage behind her.

“Lind-ow!” Ray began until Jack stepped on his foot.

“Come quick!” She shouted, “One of the ships is being taken. Pirates are stealing the ships! Please!”

The crowd all shifted to run to the docks and witness, guards following to investigate but a few staying behind to deal with the six currently tied to the gallows. At least until a circular blade flew through the air and cut down all six nooses as if they were string. The commotion from the rushing crowd helped in disguising the man in the feathered cap who pulled the lever on the stage, opening the hoe beneath the crew where they disappeared and joined the mob of people.

7 full grown men ran to the carriage and squeezed in before the auburn haired woman snapped the reins and the horse took off the direction it came, towards the docks.

The man with the feathered cap joined them, holding a keyring from one of the guards and started unlocking the chains and cuffs from around the crew’s wrists.

“Fucking took you long enough, Kdin.” Michael stated as he rubbed his wrists, red from the metal.

“I did think about pulling the lever before Caleb cut you down but I thought ‘nah the guys will owe me after this’ so I didn’t.” The man replied, throwing his cap out the door.

Geoff laughed and opened the partition to the driver, “Hey Lindsay, where’s Caleb anyway?” he asked.

A loud thump on the roof of the carriage made everyone jump and the auburn-haired lady replied with a laugh, “Right there, captain.”

The other feather-capped man from the roof popped down with a wide smile, his hat falling under the carriage in the process, “Aww, were you worried about me?”

Geoff pushed at his face, “Thought we lost you. Now I’m disappointed.”

Lindsay snapped the reins to get the horse to move faster, “Matt and Jeremy have the Huntress already ready to go. We just need to board and get the hell out of Dodge.”

“And the Navy?”

“What Navy? We disabled all their ships last night.”

“Brilliant. I love it.”

Lindsay pulled the horse to a stop on the dock, blocking the way for anyone to follow and everyone piled out of the carriage and across the gangplank onto the Achievement Huntress.

Instantly, everyone went to the stations. The lads and Lindsay jumped into the rigging, helping the sails to untie while Matt and Jeremy tied the ropes in the proper places and Geoff jumped onto the helm, waiting for Jack, Ryan, Kdin, and Caleb to pull the anchor so they could get under way. By the time they were pulling out of dock, confused townsfolk and angry guards milling about on land, some frantically trying to get their ships moving and others shooting as if they could stop a ship with bullets alone, Ray was in the crow's announcing they were clear.

After that it was smooth sailing, everyone falling into a pile in the center of the deck laughing.

"When are they ever going to learn?" Jack asked rhetorically.

"Probably when pigs fly." Michael answered falling back onto the deck with a happy sigh as the laughter died out.

"I think Ray's acting deserves an award of some kind." Ryan noted.

"Later." Geoff said, reaching into his inside coat pocket, "For now let's observe our spoils." He pulled out a rolled up scroll that looked ancient, "One treasure map."

"Open it, Geoffrey! I want to see!" Gavin chirped excitedly, scooting closer.

"Alright, alright. Gimme a damn minute." Geoff paused to allow everyone to gather round, then very slowly and dramatically opened the scroll to reveal...

Nothing. No word or markings. Just blank paper.

There was silence. Then Michael, "We went through all that for an empty scroll?"

"What? No!" Geoff exclaimed, confused, "I opened it when I picked it up! There were words and markings on this! I swear it!"

The bickering started immediately after that with the exception of Ryan who was staring at the captain’s arm curiously, noting the swirling ink that covered his fingers and his wrist until it disappeared in his coat sleeves.

“Geoff, did you get a new tattoo and forget to tell us?” He blurted over everyone, causing them to fall silent and look at him confused.

“No?”

“Your hand…” Geoff looked at the appendage Ryan pointed out and dropped the map with a yell of surprise, “What is that? What is this?”

“Calm down.” Ryan placed a heavy hand on the other man’s shoulder and started rolling up the sleeve on his newly inked arm. With each inch, Geoff’s eyes seemed to widen until they were nearly falling out of his head, “That’s not what your tattoos looked like before?”

“Its the map.” The captain blurted out in disbelief, “I recognize the symbols for the landmarks.”

“How did it end up on your skin?” Jack inquired, peering to get a closer look.

“Is it witchcraft? Are we cursed now?” Ray asked bluntly.

“Shut up. I don’t know…” Geoff cursed lowly and stroked his skin as he tried to find a reasonable explanation.

Gavin picked up the map then, looking over the blankness for clues, but suddenly shrieked and dropped it again, “There’s writing! It started to appear when I was looking!” He pointed at the map while trying to scramble away from it as if it was harboring a deadly contagious disease.

All eyes peered down at the parchment, words scrawling in neat calligraphy with no ink or pen to guide them:

_A promise of forever;_

_A treasure to behold_

_And if you find the key to life_

_The lock will soon unfold._

_~~~_

_Beyond pitch-colored spires_

_Your fears will come alive._

_The promise here is only yours_

_Providing you survive._  

Beneath this, an image of a spring formed with the words ‘ _la fontaine d'éternité_ ’ scribbled underneath.

They looked at each other confused before Michael spoke up, “So its a riddle leading us too…”

“The Eternal Fountain.” Ryan translated.

“Like the fountain of youth?” Lindsay asked curiously.

"Sounds like it. Maybe more of an emphasis on living forever than looking young."

“A whole fountain of immortality and the King just had this laying around.” Gavin grumbled in disbelief.

“Actually, it was behind two hidden walls and about a foot of glass.” Jack corrected, “I think Burnie knew its worth.”

“How’d you get in?”

“We dangled Michael from the roof.”

“Ah so that’s why it took you bloody ages to get to the throne room.”

Geoff stood suddenly, grabbing the scroll and staring at the riddle with knitted eyebrows. They watched him stroll ahead silently before he stopped in thought, then rolled the parchment quickly, turning back to them, “So which of you assholes wants to go on a fucking adventure?”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!  
> Find us all at:  
> reallysweetsass.tumblr.com  
> kaisterteeth.tumblr.com  
> barghuest.tumblr.com
> 
> And to find more entries for the Ragehappy Big Bang, visit ragehappybigbang.tumblr.com!


End file.
